Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen — Restaurant in Belleville

On our way to St. Louis we stopped here for dinner about 6pm. We went to the door and it was locked. That seemed strange because there were a few cars in the drive through. I called the restaurant on my cell as we needed to dine in. About that time an employee comes to the the door and tells me the dine in area is closed as she is leaving. I asked why and she said without stopping that she doesn’t know. From the door I can see several employees working so I walk around to the door on the other side of the restaurant. The door is near the drive up window and is not locked. I walk in the door and the girl at the counter tells me that the inside service is closed. I ask why and she says it is due to being short staffed. I said what do you mean there are 5 of you and you aren’t that busy. She said something about it being her first day and that I only got in because the door is broken. As I am speaking there are other customers trying to get in where the doors are locked. I asked why there were no signs posted on the doors. One of the three ladies behind the counter said that don’t have signs stating the inside dining was closed. I said you don’t have a marker and a piece of paper you can but on the doors? She said no because that would be getto. I said well then how are you communicating with your customers because you are also not answering your phone. She said their is no working phone in the restaurant. Customers are continuing to come up to the doors as we are speaking trying to get in. She then tells me I need to leave or she is going to call the police. I said okay but how can I contact the franchise owner. She said she didn’t know but she is calling her manager. She pulled out her phone and made a call. There were a few people trying to get in and a Door Dash guy so I walked over and told them that they said the inside area was closed due to staffing as I gestured over to all the employees behind the counter. The customers chuckled as they saw all the employees behind the counter. The employee who called the manager said she could not get a hold of her. I said can I get the number of your customer service hotline. She did not have the number. At that point one of the male employees in the prep area tells me I need to shut the F&#k up. No longer feelings...

There were five employees behind the counter. One was in the back area where food production occurred, and one was moving around behind that area, apparently doing nothing. There were three in the front area with the drive-through window and cash registers. While I waited, I noticed that there were many items previously bagged boxed or cupped under the heat lamps 4 or 5 of each item. There were two customers ahead of me waiting to make their orders. We all stood watching these five get absolutely nothing done for several minutes, I eventually asked the first in line if he had ordered yet, he made eye's like I must be kidding, so I assumed the wait had been going on for quite some time. While we all waited for service, not even being acknowledged, several people walked up to the and were given orders and drinks apparently for Doordash or Uber Eats. Finally, the first customer was acknowledged by the staff and was allowed to order. His order came quickly, and the next order was ordered. About this time, a man came in with a bag of food from McDonald's, the employee in the kitchen area saw this person and motioned for him to come in the kitchen, he knew the code for the door and went in to deliver this food to a woman wearing a shirt that said manager. I was able to order after having waited over five minutes. The employee gathered my order and gave it to me very quickly, which was easy to do as everything had been waiting in the heat lamp holding area since before I entered the store. Needless to say, the food was not fresh. My sandwich was limp and unappealing. On a side note that did not affect me directly, one employee who was working at the drive-through had hair that came to the middle of her back and spread out wider than her shoulders, the hair was not restrained in any manner and no hair...

I ordered my 2 nugget meals, two small sides and apple pies using my reward points on the popeyes app for the belleville location. I went to pick it up and the girl working was working on another order acknowledged me by saying “hello how are you?” and I said hello back. After the young lady said how can I help you I said I was there pick up order #73 because I doubt it was under my name since the app did not ask for my name. She quickly said “tell them we don’t have any nuggets” and she walked away. I honestly thought I misunderstood what she said. She came back to the counter and said “did you tell her that?” I was like Im the one who placed the order on the app. So at that point she made a uh oh face and said “oh it’s for you.” She said we had some but they were too old so I threw them away. I appreciated her not giving me old food because that what the fairview heights popeyes location will do sometimes.

At that point my order wasn’t even ready and I even waited a bit before I left the house to pick it up. She had to put it together while I was there. In the process she told me they didn’t have apple pies either and offered banana cream but that was not was I wanted so I declined. Well at least I only used my points for those. The fries she gave me weren’t even enough for each meal when I checked in the car. The other girl working the drive thru had to yell in the back to make more fries. I would have liked fresh ones if the girl helping me offered but she didn’t. The two people standing in the back doing absolutely nothing while on their phones.

I just know I won’t come back to this location. I’ll just go to popeye’s in Shiloh from now on. At least their food is hot and fresh the experiences...